He scored but apart from that he didn't do much

[roonster09]

I don't think it's wrong, that phrase has been used for years and it's spot on. There are players like Icardi (caf was drooling over him to replace Lukaku) who barely touch the ball but score few goals, they are not much use to the team.

What I don't understand is, people are used to "pass completion = better game". For some reason many don't like risk takers.

 

[acnumber9]

You can’t love this version of Ronaldo and bash Lukaku.

You can. One is a big game player and the other isn’t.

 

[Scarlett Dracarys]

If the player is s striker isn't that what they're supposed to do ? Be in the right place at the right time to score while the other players do what they're supposed to do ? Every player has their purpose.

 

[horsechoker]

I don't think it's wrong, that phrase has been used for years and it's spot on. There are players like Icardi (caf was drooling over him to replace Lukaku) who barely touch the ball but score few goals, they are not much use to the team.

What I don't understand is, people are used to "pass completion = better game". For some reason many don't like risk takers.

Icardi's problem is that he is also a Kardashian.

I'd take a trampoline foot over female Raiola.

 

[Fortitude]

He was moved on because he was causing off field issues but Ronaldo wasn't competing for his position. RVN actually did a lot off the ball for us but he wanted wingers who would deliver into the box and the game was moving on, don't think it really works as a comparison here.

This wasn't posted as I was writing my last reply so it's pretty timely as it goes right back to the Saha point I made. Ruud did a decent amount outside of score, but he didn't do an exceptional amount and near everything he did do was geared towards his benefit and not the 'team' or others in the team. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not an expansive or memorable way to play, and if you don't score off the back of that, those who do a lot in the build up are immediately brought into the discussion.

Ruud was moved on because he was getting increasingly frustrated that the team was not set up to benefit him, as Ronaldo had his own ideas and drove Ruud round the bend as he didn't pick out those subtle movements and had Ruud resetting a gazillion times to ultimately still not be involved in a play. Frustration all round and an inevitable me or him to follow.

Saha on the other hand, was the perfect foil for everyone else and didn't mind a bit if it wasn't geared towards him getting a shooting chance. We were seamless with the latter despite him being an inferior goalscorer to Ruud.

 

[Ronaldo's ego]

You can. One is a big game player and the other isn’t.

Bit harsh on Ronaldo there.

 

[largelyworried]

Totally valid complaint. Success in the long term is built on good performances. Having a great poacher might get you out of a hole from time to time, but if their weakness means that you're consistently playing worse as a team game after game, you'll be worse off in the long run.

 

[Spoony]

When did Ronaldo become a number 9? Mourinho's doing?

 

[Hammondo]

If the player is s striker isn't that what they're supposed to do ? Be in the right place at the right time to score while the other players do what they're supposed to do ? Every player has their purpose.

If he's bad at doing that all game, ruining many attacks but scores 1. Is that a good game?

 

[JuveGER]

If you perform poorly all game, the fact that you scored from a fortunate rebound after a corner should not absolve you of your bad performance. I think it is only right to judge players by their overall play. If you do everything well, goals will come naturally. But that you scored doesn't mean you have done everything (or even most things) well.

 

[bsCallout]

That's his job.

 

[do.ob]

If the player is s striker isn't that what they're supposed to do ? Be in the right place at the right time to score while the other players do what they're supposed to do ? Every player has their purpose.

Football hasn't been like that in many years. Defenders have to be able to play the ball, stikers have to be able to participate in the game. In its essence tactics boil down to creating numerical superiority in a certain space and snowballing things from there. Having one or more players who don't participate makes that much, much harder to accomplish.

 

[TheRedHearted]

Are modern fans too cynical now?

Complaints like these seem to be common place on here. Do footballers have to play excellently in all aspects to avoid criticism?

Have fans always nitpicked or is this something recent?

Just responded to someone about Di Maria. Basically getting third assists in the league on his first year in England was okay but he didn’t play well. ???

 

[Phil]

What I don't understand is, people are used to "pass completion = better game". For some reason many don't like risk takers.

So true. If you don't have risk takers, you end up with the England team. I remember the flack Nani took in the stands for this as well.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

That’s an absolutely mental take from your old man.

My dad dislike Cavani due to Ibrahimovic and him not getting fully along I think. He do not like Messi either for similar reasons. We are swedish and he is a big Ibra fan and United fan.

 

[tenpoless]

In the era of ball playing CBs and interchanging flexible fluid forwards its not surprising really. People can be very demanding. If we're talking about CF, their job is to score goals, thats what matters to me.

 

[roonster09]

So true. If you don't have risk takers, you end up with the England team. I remember the flack Nani took in the stands for this as well.

Yeah, he was the player I had in my mind. Even on his bad day, losing possession he used to create good number of chances.

 

[Bole Top]

how many of us would want prime Chicarito type of striker in 2021?

 

[amolbhatia50k]

No, the inability to look beyond G+A is much more todays football fan.

 

[JJ12]

how many of us would want prime Chicarito type of striker in 2021?

I’d love him off the bench

 

[JPRouve]

how many of us would want prime Chicarito type of striker in 2021?

Off the bench, I would like him. But as a starter he is pointless.

 

[Rozay]

A team is a singular machine really, so a player scoring a goal may, at a glance, look good for them - but they may be diminishing the impact of another 2 or 3 players with the way they play.

Beyond that, I’d say it depends on your job in the team. If you are a striker, ultimately, it can’t be argued with. A goalscoring centre half, of course, should not be judged on goals, and any contribution in such area more of a bonus. You can’t really knock a goalscoring striker though.

 

[Dirty Schwein]

Are modern fans too cynical now?

Complaints like these seem to be common place on here. Do footballers have to play excellently in all aspects to avoid criticism?

Have fans always nitpicked or is this something recent?

A player can play poor but get a goal. If that was for my team, I'd be happy with the goal but can admit that the player didn't generally have a good game. But as you probably know, a player having a bad game and getting a goal will suddenly make them man of the match to commentators.

It's different for players like Inzaghe who were ALWAYS like that. It's their 'game' but someone like Ronaldo has a different measuring stick as we all know he is more capable than just being anonymous and scoring a goal.

 

[tenpoless]

how many of us would want prime Chicarito type of striker in 2021?

I would. Although he'll be below Cavani, above Martial.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Inzagni played 20+ years ago, football moved on dramatically. Players are fitter, smarter and more prepared for games. Comparing a guy who lived offside to a modern forward is like comparing apples and oranges.

The fact is in modern football you can’t carry someone who isn’t doing work and like it or not strikers now have to be more involved than they were.

Even weirder people making out like Cavani doesn’t work his socks off? Man chases people back to fullback positions to help out something he has always done throughout his carear and he’s banged in goals everywhere.

The role of a striker has changed and as others have said playing crap for 89 mins and doing nothing then popping up with a goal is still a poor performance no matter how you want to slice it. If they play well, get involved make runs and do other things they maybe help the team more than standing about waiting for a ball.

Honestly it’s the thing that used to annoy me the most about Zlatan. He’d be absolutley woeful, score a goal. Then the CAF would have him as MOTM and giving him like a 9 for his performance when he was absolute wank.

 

[adexkola]

For the most part it's a stupid critique applied arbitrarily. Look at Kane. He's getting criticism now for dropping deep and getting too involved in play. Messi is amazing but some castigate him because he can't run more.

The manager is best able to determine the proper level of contribution from his players, including the striker. A poacher role is feasible with the right setup and productivity from the poacher. Werner can't hit the net but has a crucial role for club. It depends.

 

[Zehner]

I think it's the other way round. Some time ago, you could have a great game without scoring. I don't think anybody would call Ronaldinho or Zidane the best player in the world today. Most fans would go with van Nistelrooy, Eto'o or Henry since they scored more goals than those two.

 

[Scarlett Dracarys]

If he's bad at doing that all game, ruining many attacks but scores 1. Is that a good game?

Are we referring to one specific game or overall performance ? Every player, no matter how good they are, will have bad games.
And no if they have a habit of ruining attacks it's not a good game and they won't be included in the line up or even start. They're chosen based on overall performance not one bad game. You also cannot blame one player for a terrible game.

 

[diarm]

My dad really dislike Cavani for doing nothing apart from scoring. Although I personally like his movements that open up space for himself and others.

My favourite thing about Cavani, even more than his goals, are those one touch, around the corner passes where he always seems to find the wide player. His link up play is better than his goal scoring if anything!

 

[Desert Eagle]

A player should be judged on their overall performance respective to the role they play for their team. Bruno for eg in our setup has the goal scorer/creator role so his end product is weighed more compared to things like pass completion. For Portugal he plays a more regular midfield role where his link up play, tracking of runners and dictating the pace of the match are probably more important than his actual end product( they have Ronaldo for that) . A bit of a simplistic example but I think the sentence in the OP can be a legitimate criticism.

 

[Withnail]

My dad dislike Cavani due to Ibrahimovic and him not getting fully along I think. He do not like Messi either for similar reasons. We are swedish and he is a big Ibra fan and United fan.

That's hilarious. During his time at United, Ibrahimovic was way more guilty of what he's accusing Cavani of.

 

[roonster09]

If the player is s striker isn't that what they're supposed to do ? Be in the right place at the right time to score while the other players do what they're supposed to do ? Every player has their purpose.

Yeah there is no binary answer. End of the day, the role they play and set up matters.

 

[giorno]

From what i recall, poachers always got criticism. Inzaghi was constantly criticised for doing feck all but scoring

By who???

 

[giorno]

Only morons boil ability down to goal-scoring. You can't quantify how many potential goals were lost by playing a tap-in poacher over a hardworking creative player.

You can't quantify the amount of potential goals lost by playing a hardworking creative player over a great goalscorer

 

[arthurka]

You can’t love this version of Ronaldo and bash Lukaku.

You can't really? One is 37 the other one is at the top of his game. Still an absolute brick wall of a player and the same finesse as one.

 

[simonhch]

Some have mentioned RVN here now whilst he didn't do that much on his own he held the ball up well and linked with the rest of the team. Someone like Inzaghi on the other hand wasn't very good at that and could only score and be offside.

Exactly, anyone mentioning Van Nistelrooy in this thread hasn't watched him, or doesn't understand football. He was one of the best players at holding up the ball I've ever seen.

Some players are so lethal that you exempt them from other criticisms. RVN (until he lost a yard), Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi......who gives a feck about their work rate when they score 30-50 goals a season? When players aren't producing numbers like that, then they need to be contributing much more to the team....work rate, link up play etc.

I refuse to believe there is no place in the modern game for a good old fashioned number 9. Put RVN in our team now and he instantly becomes our best player.

 

[roonster09]

You can't quantify the amount of potential goals lost by playing a hardworking creative player over a great goalscorer

Also great goal scorers make half chances into good chances with their movement, which makes it easier for creative players. I remember how Ronaldo made floated crosses look so dangerous because of his leap, ability to judge flight and jump early.

 

[FatTails]

He has scored at a great rate in every league he’s been in since he was a teenager, dragged Inter to their first title in many years, has an amazing international record, is strong, a tireless runner, a good finisher, and has somehow convinced Everton, United and Inter to spend significant money on him, but no silky touch, so obviously he’s shit (also, he doesn’t say United are the bestest team ever at every chance )

 

[GazTheLegend]

Are modern fans too cynical now?

Complaints like these seem to be common place on here. Do footballers have to play excellently in all aspects to avoid criticism?

Have fans always nitpicked or is this something recent?

Jesse Lingard went through the calender year of 2020 without registering a goal or an assist.

It's a feature of great players that they seek to be the ones that the big chances are created by / fall to, and getting on the scoresheet consistently should be applauded more than it is.

 

[Canagel]

We live in the era of statspadding and G/A. Players can play shit for 85 minutes, bag a goal and take all the credit while everything else is forgotten